When someone mentions the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the first thing I think of isn’t quirky. Dinosaurs, fairies, space, and maybe even adventure immediately come to mind.
But the definition of quirky includes being characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits, which perfectly fits The Children’s Museum (TCM) in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is the largest in terms of size at just under 500,000 square feet sitting on a 30-acre campus. The museum hosts more than 1.3 million visitors annually.
TCM is home to the original Bumblebee movie prop from Transformers. Three hundred fiberglass parts cast from 200 custom molds make up the 17-foot, 2,000-pound movie prop from the 2007 Transformers movie.
TCM is home to one of Dale Chihuly’s largest glass-blown sculptures. The 43-foot-tall sculpture features 3,200 pieces of glass.
Designers planned the museum around a 55-ton steam engine. The 35-foot, 55-ton behemoth of a locomotive has been a staple at the museum since the late 1960s.
TCM has a dinosaur called Dracorex hogwartsia, the first-ever of its genus and species.
One example is the National Art Museum of Sport, which currently features the art of Olympic artist LeRoy Nieman, resides within TCM.